ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 TAG: 9512130040
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Nearly two-thirds of the $5.8 million increase in Roanoke School Superintendent Wayne Harris' proposed budget for the 1996-97 school year is earmarked for employee pay raises.
Teachers would lead the way with average raises of 7 percent. Principals, central office administrators, cafeteria workers, custodians, secretaries and other nonprofessional employees also would get raises if Harris' spending plan is approved.
His recommendations reflect the School Board's desire to raise teachers' salaries to the national average within three years and to boost the pay for other school employees, too.
The superintendent also has proposed hiring teacher assistants, which would allow all elementary school teachers to have daily 30-minute, duty-free planning periods to help improve students' performance on standardized tests.
The city's secondary teachers already have a planning period; elementary school teachers identified it in a recent survey as a priority need.
Harris said planning periods are necessary because the school system has set a goal of improving student scores on the Literacy Passport Test and other standardized examinations.
Harris said his spending recommendations are contingent on revenues that are uncertain at this time, pending action by the General Assembly and updated estimates of city revenues.
Preliminary projections show revenues will increase $3.8 million in the next school year - a $2.2 million increase in state funds and a $1.6 million increase in city funds. That would leave a shortfall of $2 million in Harris' budget.
But he said the increase in state aid remains tentative, because Gov. George Allen has not released his budget proposal and the General Assembly won't adopt the new state budget until February.
The projected $1.6 million increase in city funds will be updated in early February, he said.
"I hope that additional revenue will become available from the state once the governor's budget proposals are provided to localities," he said. "I also anticipate improvements in the city revenue figure as its revenue estimate is finalized."
Harris outlined his proposed budget to the School Board Tuesday - two to three months before most superintendents submit their spending plans for the next school year.
Since becoming superintendent three years ago, Harris has presented his budget early so he can hold public meetings on it to get residents' reactions before he makes a final recommendation to the School Board in February. He also can build public support for his spending proposals.
Harris also will make two budget presentations this year on the educational access channel on the Cox Communications cable system.
Roanoke ranks 14th among 133 school divisions in the state in average teachers' salaries, but it is below Salem and Roanoke County. Roanoke's average salary is $734 above the state average but $2,075 less than the national average.
Harris said his recommendations for pay raises for teachers and principals are designed to help Roanoke be competitive with surrounding localities and other urban school systems.
His proposed three-year plan requires the teacher salary scale to be increased 6 percent a year. About 18 percent of the teachers also will qualify for additional tier raises of up to 15.6 percent, producing an average raise of 7 percent for teachers.
The average salaries for principals and instructional supervisors in Roanoke also are lower than those in Salem and Roanoke County.
The school budget also will increase $2.1 million for items outside the direct control of the School Board, Harris said. This includes $962,000 for increased contributions to the retirement system for school employees; $387,000 for higher debt payments; $332,500 for higher tuition for special education students; $295,000 for the cost of a higher enrollment; and $272,000 for higher costs for utilities, insurance and other items.
To partially offset those increases, Harris said, the school system will eliminate three central office jobs; use a computer to schedule bus routes; consolidate management of four school cafeterias, and reduce discretionary spending for supplies, travel, materials and equipment, for a total savings of $650,000.
Harris said the savings will not reduce the quality of services to students, but school officials will closely scrutinize spending in these categories.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart: Budget highlights. color.by CNB